B.C. home sales fall nine per cent in September amid interest rate speculation

VANCOUVER — Home sales in British Columbia dipped again in September, with the province’s real estate board saying interest rate hike speculation weighed on the market.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association says in a release that just over 5, 250 homes were sold last month, down about 9 per cent from the same month in 2025.

Home sales were about 26 per cent lower than the 10-year average for B.C. for the month of September.

The association says sales volume for residential transactions in B.C. last month was $4.9 billion, down 11 per cent from a year ago, while the average price on the Multiple Listing Service fell 2.4 per cent to just over $924,000.

Association chief economist Brendon Ogmundson says in a statement that the declines come after “an encouraging summer” where B.C. showed signs of recovery, but spiking oil prices have prompted speculation on whether the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates.

About 51,000 homes have been sold in B.C. so far in 2026, down about 6 per cent from the same period last year, with sales in September falling year-over-year in every region other than South Peace River and the Kootenays.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.

The Canadian Press